this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2023
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geopolitics

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_A study of the influence of such factors as geography, economics, and demography on the politics and especially the foreign policy of a state_

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China demands UK talks with Argentina over Falklands slamming 'colonial legacy' (www.express.co.uk)
submitted 1 year ago by scyrp@kbin.social to c/geopolitics@kbin.social
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China's UN diplomat sent shockwaves as he took aim Britain in another barbed attack.

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[–] Anomandaris@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Since when do we punish modern day nations for the actions of their ancestors? Are we going to sanction Spain and Portugal for their actions in South America? Are we going to sanction the Dutch for their actions in the Congo? How about Japanese for Nanking?

[–] PabloDiscobar@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Since when do we punish modern day nations for the actions of their ancestors?

Since these modern day nations still enjoy actively the benefit of this opium war. I never heard the UK saying 50 years ago: "hey China you know what? The past is the past. You can have Hong Kong back, we were wrong."

They never did that, they enjoyed their possession until the last second. They twisted the knife in the wound for 99 years.

And it's not a "punishment".

Are we going to sanction Spain and Portugal for their actions in South America?

Tell us more about it. Tell us when Brazil became independent. For Hong Kong it was around ~20 years ago.

The Nanjing Massacre?

Shortly after the surrender of Japan, the primary officers in charge of the Japanese troops at Nanjing were put on trial. General Matsui was indicted before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East for "deliberately and recklessly" ignoring his legal duty "to take adequate steps to secure the observance and prevent breaches" of the Hague Convention.

Other Japanese military leaders in charge at the time of the Nanjing Massacre were not tried. Prince Kan'in Kotohito, chief of staff of the Imperial Japanese Army during the massacre, had died before the end of the war in May 1945. Prince Asaka was granted immunity because of his status as a member of the imperial family. Isamu Chō, the aide to Prince Asaka, and whom some historians believe issued the "kill all captives" memo, had committed seppuku (ritual suicide) during the Battle of Okinawa.

Ask China about it, did they get reparation?

Stop pointing the finger away. We are talking about UK, who enjoyed and pressured every drop of money they could get from Hong Kong after they forced the opium wars, and did it for 99 years. And now they expect a smile and flowers from China? Get real.

[–] Anomandaris@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

when you read about what the UK did during the opium wars you can hardly keep supporting UK for anything.

Withdrawing support as a consequence of someone's actions seems like it fits the definition of punishment.

The point I was trying to make is: who are you really trying to punish? Everyone involved in the opium wars is long dead, everyone involved in the handing over of Hong Kong, or the lack thereof, is either dead or very nearly so. The exception being King Charles, who was present for the handover, and the extent the British royalty had influence in that decision could start an entirely separate debate.

Today the UK is a trashy backwater island isolating itself from its neighbours, with a failing economy and an unstable currency, I say that as someone who was born here and lived here my entire life. Current living British people have no more influence over political theatre than they did during the opium wars, or during Hong Kong. So who are you really trying to punish?